The new National Museum

The new National Museum will become the largest art museum in the Nordic region and a venue for entirely new encounters with art.

Never before has an art museum like this been built in Norway. The new National Museum will become the largest cultural centre in the Nordic region. The museum is currently being built at the site of the former Vestbanen railway station in central Oslo and is set to open in 2020.

Art, design, and architecture in new contexts

No fewer than 6,000 works of art will be on display in the permanent exhibition. This exhibition will be the very core of the museum. This is where works from all of the museum’s various fields – older and modern art, architecture, design, craft, and contemporary art – will meet and interact in new contexts.

Atop the roof, a large, brightly illuminated art hall is being constructed. The hall will be longer than the Royal Palace and will feature temporary exhibitions on a much larger scale and with a greater range of leading international artists than has previously been possible.

A new venue in the cityscape

The new museum shall be a rewarding and inspiring place to be. It will feature a publicly accessible roof terrace with a spectacular view of Oslo City Hall, Akershus Fortress, the Aker Brygge neighbourhood, and the Oslofjord.

Featuring outdoor seating among trees, plants, and natural rocks, the square in front of the main entrance will be an attractive meeting place. It is a location where you can picture yourself enjoying a range of events taking place throughout the long summer nights.

The new National Museum will entail even more opportunities to meet up with friends, family, and colleagues over a coffee or a bite of food. The museum will also be outfitted with a large and airy library, a well-stocked museum shop with a design- and art-inspired selection, and various venues that allow visitors to engage in creative activities.

New future for art

The new building shall signal the National Museum’s role as one of Europe’s leading venues for art and culture. Construction is well under way, and now it is really possible to see the contours of what is to come.

In line with the National Museum’s vision of creating new generations of art enthusiasts, the new museum aims to be a shot in the arm for the visual arts in Norway.

At Vestbanen, we will have both a large, great art venue and an important meeting place for the public of all ages. I look forward to the opening in 2020 with great anticipation.